Overview

Published in April 2026, Cooperative Extension as a Transformative Intermediary in Rural Development is a report from the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) concluding a multiyear project examining the Cooperative Extension System's role in rural community, economic, and workforce development.

The Cooperative Extension System is a network of land-grant university outreach offices operating in all 3,000-plus U.S. counties, and the Extension delivers research-based education and programming directly to communities. That programming has historically been centered on agriculture, but increasingly it has spread across workforce development, economic development, and public health.

The report presents a framework for how Extension can serve rural communities, drawing on work with an advisory group and five experimental project sites across the country.

The framework is organized around three Cooperative Extension System core functions:

• Connected Convener
  • Brings together stakeholders across sectors to identify community needs, align assets, and co-develop strategies.
  • Includes convening local employers, workforce organizations, and postsecondary institutions, as well as building capacity within professional networks.
• Teaching and Learning
  • Provides free or low-cost, noncredit educational programming accessible to rural residents who may live far from traditional postsecondary institutions.
• Applied Analysis
  • Translates research and data from land-grant institutions into practical insights that inform rural development decisions.
  • Bridges the gap between institutional knowledge and community-level needs.

The report also identifies four key challenges that limit Extension's effectiveness as a transformative intermediary:

• Fragmented rural development funding spread across more than 400 federal programs and 35 pieces of legislation.
• Organizational silos within land-grant institutions.
• The absence of a unified brand or consistent identity that makes Extension legible to potential partners.
• Difficulty capturing and communicating its impact in a ways that attracts and retains funding.

The five project sites supported by NCHEMS as part of this initiative were:

• Colorado State University Office of Engagement and Extension
• University of Maine Cooperative Extension
• University of Missouri Extension
• Southern Rural Development Center at Mississippi State University
• University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services.

Background

The Smith-Lever Act of 1914 established the Cooperative Extension System as part of the public service mission of land-grant universities. Extension maintains a presence in all 3,000-plus U.S. counties.

NCHEMS began this project in 2024 with support from Ascendium Education Group, initially developing a catalyst framework for Extension's role in rural development. That framework was then tested through the five experimental project sites in 2025, with this report presenting the refined version of the framework based on those lessons.

The report is intended for policymakers, postsecondary institution leaders, funders, and Extension leaders seeking to expand Extension's role in rural development strategies.

Partners

• National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS)
• Colorado State University Office of Engagement and Extension
• University of Maine Cooperative Extension
• University of Missouri Extension
• Southern Rural Development Center, Mississippi State University
• University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services

Funders

• Ascendium Education Group

Resources